BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

You can hunt on any private non posted land as well as a good bit of public land. I would imagine that quite a bit of the land around the trail falls into that.

Info on various activities in the Ohiopyle area, including hunting:

http://www.fay-west.com/ohiopyle/guide/recreation.php

I seem to recall the GAP trail book saying something like hunting is prohibited in Ohiopyle park itself and on the trail, which is part of the park in some places, but immediately off the trail hunting is permitted. It encourages cyclists not to wear brown clothes with a white flash in the lower back...

While hunting is forbidden on GAP property (owned by different entities along its length), hunters are allowed to carry firearms on the trail. i know it is startling to come upon hunters carrying (sometimes) high-powered rifles--usually under their arms in a position i call 'broken in half'--don't know what the technical term is--but yes i, too, have seen them around Dravo Cemetery and near the Red Waterfall. The Elizabeth Township police and the RTC in West Newton confirmed that hunters can carry firearms on the trail, as i have expressed concerns to both.

"under their arms in a position i call 'broken in half'--don't know what the technical term is"

I'd call that a "Safe" position. Ufortunately 'broken in half' usually only applies to shotguns. High powered hunting rifles are bolt operated, and are NOT so easily identifiable as "Safe". In my opinion it would not be out-of-line to politely ask a hunter to shoulder their rifle so the barrel is pointed either straight up or straight down. Other hunters apreciate that too.

There aren't many rules for gun safety, and the first two aren't hard to remember:

- Treat all guns as if they are loaded and ready to fire at all times.

- Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.

The same works when you aren't holding the weapon.. I wouldn't ride or walk in front of a muzzle, ever.

i learned those rules before i was 10. i don't understand why people have such a hard time with them.

I was always taught to hold rifles with the barrel pointed at the ground.

exactly. barrel down, bolt open, safety on, hands off the trigger.

Part of my concern was that these guys were on the lackadaisical side with how they were holding their firearms. When I took my gun safety course, way back when, you had options on how to walk with your firearm, but you were always expected to have your barrel pointed down.

"In my opinion it would not be out-of-line to politely ask a hunter to shoulder their rifle so the barrel is pointed either straight up or straight down."

Sure, in theory, but on the same trail I saw "Heil Hitler" and a swastika graffiti, I have a heightened awareness on how I, personally, might be perceived were I to do that.

for ohiopyle state park the following applies:

"Loaded firearms are not permitted within 50' of the Youghiogheny River Trail."

not sure if this applies to the rest of the trail as well. but this would effectively prohibit hunting within 50' of the trail.

there's a lot of public hunting available in the ohiopyle area. might be fun to bike down there for squirrel hunting.

It's not gun season til after Tgiving, no? So it's a moot question until then. Also signs at pretty much the end of every stretch of town along the Yough trail say "No loaded firearms, no discharging firearms." Seems reasonable - unload your gun while you walk the trail.

I camped at Roundbottom this weekend (mile 99, or the "most remote part of the trail" according to some guy). It was pretty phenomenal out there. Anyway, early one morning I saw a guy walking the trail with a bow and a big backpack of arrows. Cool, I feel safer around bowhunters anyway. What I wonder is how does he (or any hunters before there were cars) carry a huge deer carrion back to a trailhead where there's a truck? He didn't have a horse either, which I imagine is another method. Can anyone who knows anything about hunting enlighten me?

@alnilam: I don't know about applicable laws/regulations, but it's not uncommon to field-dress your deer (cut out/off the undesirable bits, like most of the organs) to lighten the load before you carry it out. You can also drag a deer pretty easily on a small tarp if desired...skids nicely over a bed of fallen leaves.

Sadly, it's also not unheard-of for a hunter to just take the head or antlers, and leave the rest to rot. We used to find such remains occasionally in the woods on my parents' farm.

its presently the season for squrriels, rabbits, grouse, canada goose -all hunted with rifles or shotguns. its also bow season for deer in some parts of the state. the monday after thanksgiving is the first day of rifle season for deer.

maybe the bow hunter you saw will come back with his bicycle and bob trailer to haul his deer home. some people have handles they tie to deer legs to drag out of the woods as well.

@ALNILAM

after thanks giving is only buck firearm season, right now squirrel, grouse, rabbit, and pheasant. There is almost always a season open for one thing or another depening on species and breeding patterns.

Roundbottom is a beautiful campsite. I stayed there last summer and camped out a little closer to the river and slept with no tent. Really great place. Only downside is that train...

Ohiopyle is a park, so the rules there are different. Simlarly, guns are banned throughout the C&O, because the whole trail is a long, skinny park.